MIROS: Don’t repair vehicles on emergency lanes! Call for assistance instead

Following multiple reports of motorists losing their lives while repairing their cars on highway emergency lanes, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) has issued a warning urging road users not to repair their broken-down vehicles on emergency lanes but to contact the 999 emergency hotline instead.

MIROS chairman Suret Singh highlighted that it is dangerous to repair vehicles or change tyres in the emergency lane, especially during the night.

“All highway operators have patrol and rescue units, so contact them for assistance. If you don’t have the number on your phone, you can obtain it through a Google search.

“Usually, the highway patrol unit will arrive as soon as possible and tow the vehicle to the nearest rest area. Also, all passengers need to exit the vehicle and gather outside the road barrier,” he said in a statement.

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In the past month, at least two incidents where passengers of cars stopped in the highway emergency lost their lives. One of which included a mother and eight children as well as a good Samaritan who stopped to help the family.

The incident that happened on the North-South Expressway Central Link (Elite) on 18-December-2021 killed 10 people in total.

Meanwhile, in another incident that happened just days ago, a 42-year-old man was killed when a lorry rammed into him right in front of his wife and daughter. The family had stopped on the highway emergency lane to change a punctured tyre.

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Suret advises road users who encounter problems with their cars to turn on their hazard lights and set up the reflective triangle or safety cone at least 30 m away from where the car is stopped before calling for assistance.

He also suggests that all drivers keep a reflective vest in the car to be used at night. This is to give motorists a heads up that there is a car stopped on the side of the road and to make it easier for them to see the car.

Source: Free Malaysia Today